Why I Start Every Sauna Session with Dry Brushing (And Why You Might Want To, Too)

There's a five-minute ritual I do before every sauna and red light session. It's not a supplement. It's not a gadget. It's a dry brush.

If you have an autoimmune condition, you know the body can feel like it's working against you. Inflammation flares without warning. Energy disappears. Dry brushing doesn't fix any of that... but what it does do is give me a tangible, daily way to take care of this body that's doing its best.

Let me break down what we actually know about dry brushing, what's still being studied, and why I've woven it into my routine in the specific way that I have.

What is dry brushing?

Dry brushing is exactly what it sounds like: brushing your skin with a firm, natural-bristle brush while your skin is completely dry. The strokes move in long, sweeping motions toward the heart, starting at the feet and working upward. It takes about three to five minutes for a full-body pass.

The practice has roots in Ayurvedic tradition and has been used in various forms across cultures for centuries. Today, it's accessible, low-cost, and genuinely feels good.

The Science: What's Actually Happening Under the Surface

I found it interesting to look at the meaning and significance of each element individually... like they are ingredients in a recipe.

Lymphatic Drainage

The lymphatic system is a network of vessels, nodes, and fluid that runs parallel to your circulatory system. Unlike blood, lymph doesn't have a pump — it moves through muscle contractions, breathing, and external pressure. Its job is essential: filtering waste, transporting immune cells, and helping manage inflammation throughout the body.

For those of us with autoimmune conditions, the lymphatic system is particularly relevant. Chronic inflammation, immune dysregulation, and the medications often used to manage autoimmune disease can all affect lymphatic function. I'm not claiming dry brushing cures any of this. But supporting the system that's supposed to be clearing debris and regulating immune responses feels worth doing.

Circulation and the Skin Barrier

What's well-established is that dry brushing is an effective mechanical exfoliator. It physically removes dead skin cells from the surface of the skin, which improves texture, allows for better moisture absorption, and gives skin a temporarily more radiant appearance. It also increases local blood flow, which brings more oxygen and nutrients to the surface.

One practical reason to brush before the sauna and red light, the way I do: cleared, exfoliated skin is more receptive. When your pores aren't clogged with dead cells, sweating during the sauna is more efficient, and red light penetrates the skin with less interference. It's about creating the best possible conditions for the tools that come next.

The Physical Benefits

• Skin texture. My skin is noticeably smoother and less dull. With an autoimmune condition, skin can be one of the first places inflammation shows up — dry patches, uneven texture, sensitivity. Regular brushing has made a real difference in how my skin feels day to day.

• Reduced puffiness. Whether it's full lymphatic drainage or simply improved circulation, I consistently notice less morning puffiness when I brush regularly. My face and ankles in particular.

• Better absorption. Everything I put on my skin afterward seems to work better when I've exfoliated first.

• Energy shift. There's something about the act of brushing that wakes my body up. It's a gentle but stimulating physical input, and it signals to my nervous system that we're moving into an active, intentional part of the day.

The Mental and Emotional Layer

This part is harder to quantify: when you live with a chronic condition, your relationship with your body can become adversarial. You stop trusting it. You brace for what might go wrong next.

Dry brushing, for me, has been a small act of showing up for my body rather than bracing against it. Five minutes of deliberate attention — moving from my feet upward, covering every part of myself. It's quiet. It's rhythmic. And in some way I can't fully articulate, it's been a way of practicing being in my body rather than just surviving in it.

The nervous system stimulation is real, too. The skin is our largest sensory organ, and activating it through touch, particularly in long, rhythmic strokes, engages the parasympathetic nervous system. It can shift you out of that low-grade fight-or-flight state that chronic illness tends to park you in.

I do it before the sauna because by the time I step in, I'm already a little more present. A little more at ease. The sauna does its work on a body that's already softened.

Watch and learn

If you're new to dry brushing or want to make sure your technique is actually supporting lymphatic flow rather than just scratching around, this YouTube tutorial from a lymphedema physical therapist is worth watching:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YnVb9Ie-r0

Dry brushing isn't a cure. It's not going to put your autoimmune condition into remission or replace the work of a medical professional. It is, however, a consistent, grounding act of physical self-care that has real, if modest, physiological effects: exfoliation, improved circulation, nervous system activation, and assistance to lymphatic flow.

For me, it fits into a larger philosophy of stacking small, intentional practices that compound over time. The sauna alone is good. The red light alone is good. But done together, in sequence, with the body prepared and the nervous system invited into the process — that's where I notice the real difference.